Time, rules set for Common Core meeting

If you have questions about Idaho Core Standards, you have one week to get them written up and sent in.

The Legislature’s education committees will take your questions on the controversial math and English language arts standards, then filter them through a panel of state Education Department staffers, educators and Common Core supporters and opponents.

The questions — and responses — will provide the backbone for a two-hour joint meeting on Common Core standards. That meeting will take place on Jan. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Lincoln Auditorium on the Statehouse’s garden level.

Questions must be turned in by 5 p.m. on Jan. 17.

Here’s the news release, in full, from the House Education Committee. (And for more reading, here’s a link to our overview piece on the prospects for keeping, or repealing, the Idaho Core Standards.)

The chairs of the Senate and House education committees, Sen. John Goedde and Rep. Reed DeMordaunt, announced today their plans to bring Idahoans together for a serious discussion on Common Core.

“In an effort to be transparent, we want to allow the public to share questions and concerns regarding Idaho Common Core,” Sen. Goedde explained.

The forum will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Lincoln Auditorium in the Senate West Wing (WW02) of the State Capitol.

Participants must submit their questions in advance. Questions are to be emailed or sent to the House Education Secretary. Email address: hedu@house.idaho.gov. Physical address: EW49, Routing Code 38, State Capitol, Boise, ID 83720-0038

All questions must be submitted by Friday, Jan. 17, 2014 at 5 p.m.

Chairman DeMordaunt said, “It is critical that questions regarding the Idaho Common Core are submitted in advance so that they can be thoroughly researched.”

A formal panel of educators, Department of Education personnel and others, both proponents and opponents, will be a part of the panel and the research process. They, in turn, will then prepare answers regarding the Idaho Common Core Standards.

The forum will be structured so that the audience can see every question presented on a screen and then those questions will be answered by the panelists. No questions will be taken from the audience on the day of the Common Core Forum. However, the Forum proceedings will be available via the IPTV website at www.idahoptv.org (click on Legislature Live) or directly atwww.idahoptv.org/leglive.

The Idaho Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of educational standards for kindergarten through 12thgrade in English language arts and mathematics. These English language arts and mathematics standards represent a set of expectations for student knowledge and skills that high school graduates need to master to succeed in college and careers.